The present invention relates to automatic bobbin winding apparatus and, more particularly, to such apparatus of the type having a plurality of aligned winding stations with a traveling conveyor belt or other package delivery assembly extending along the winding stations for supplying thereto packages consisting of yarn tube support members carrying fully wound yarn tubes.
Conventional automatic yarn winding apparatus of the aforementioned type are not readily capable of handling at the same time two or more differing groups of supply packages, e.g., packages carrying yarns of differing types. In such cases, a group of the winding stations at the rearward end of the winding apparatus, i.e., viewed in the direction of package delivery by the conveyor belt or other package delivery assembly, are designated for handling one group of yarn packages which are fed manually to the designated group of winding stations while the conveyor belt or other package delivery assembly is utilized for automatic feeding of the other group of yarn packages to the other winding stations of the apparatus.
In principle, it is also possible in an automatic yarn winding apparatus of the aforementioned type to utilize the conveyor belt or other package delivery assembly to supply differing groups of yarn packages to differing corresponding groups of the winding stations by individually performing at differing times the package delivery operation for each differing group of yarn packages to the associated group of winding stations. Disadvantageously, however, this manner of operation with differing groups of yarn packages generally causes delays in the delivery of at least some of the yarn packages to the associated winding stations. Such delays can be avoided by providing a sufficiently increased package storage capacity at each individual winding station, but this technique creates the alternative disadvantage that changes in the types of yarn packages being supplied to each winding station cannot be accomplished until all of the yarn packages stored at each winding station have been depleted, thereby hindering the desired ability of the winding apparatus to accomplish quick changes in the types of yarn packages.
Another possibility for enabling differing groups of yarn packages to be processed on differing winding stations of the same automatic winding apparatus is to provide a sufficiently sophisticated control system to transmit package request signals from each group of winding stations or each individual winding station when a package is needed and to insure that each individual package fed by the conveyor belt or other package delivery system is properly delivered to the signaling group of winding stations or the signaling individual winding station. Control systems of this type, however, are relatively expensive and also are subject to periodic breakdowns. For such reasons, such control systems normally are not considered for use in an automatic winding apparatus which is unmonitored by operating personnel.
West German Offenlegungsschrift DE 36 22 004 discloses an automatic winding apparatus having plural aligned winding sections each of which includes several winding stations. A primary conveyor extends along the length of the winding apparatus for transporting fully wound yarn tubes for supply to the winding sections and their individual winding stations. Each winding section further includes an individual secondary supply conveyor for delivering wound yarn tubes to the individual winding stations, each winding section including a controllable transfer device for selectively diverting yarn tubes from the primary conveyor to the secondary conveyor of the respective winding section for supply to its individual winding stations. The primary and secondary conveyors in this apparatus are preferably in the form of conveyor belts and the transfer devices are preferably in the form of controllable shunts. Disadvantageously, however, this apparatus is also relatively expensive and is not readily capable of flexible or changeable operation.